Quakerism is a simple faith, rooted in experience rather than in creed.
Experience is the Quaker’s starting-point. This light must be my light, this truth must be my truth, this faith must be my very own faith. The key that unlocks the spiritual life belongs not to Peter, or some other person, as an official. It belongs to the individual soul that finds the light, that discovers the truth, that sees the revelation of God and goes on living in the demonstration and power of it.
Rufus M. Jones
Worship, both personal and communal, involves quieting the mind, waiting expectantly, and responding to the call of the divine. The life of the spirit deepens with prayer and study.
What I understand now is that one’s intellect alone won’t pull one through, and that the greatest thing it can do is open a window for that thing we call the divine spirit. If one trusts to it alone, it’s like trusting to an artificial system of ventilation – correct in theory but musty in practice. How I wish it were as easy to throw everything open to the spirit of God as it is to fresh air.
Hilda Clark
Many Friends consider the Bible to be inspired revelation. We rely on the Spirit to guide understanding and bring life to these ancient texts.
All the beautiful psalms and other heavenly verses come from a Source of inspiration. When we insist on waiting for the Source for ourselves, until we “meet” it, then, at such time, what we feel and say and do comes freshly from that Source.
Francis Hole
Friends have many names for God, including Spirit, Light, and Inward Teacher. We have found that the message of the Spirit is best expressed through many voices.
Testimonies
For more than three hundred years, Friends have acted upon a set of shared convictions. While the specific details have varied over time, today’s concerns and underlying beliefs are remarkably similar to those of past generations.
Quaker Organizations
Local meetings are the basic organizational unit of the Religious Society of Friends. The members of monthly meetings also constitute quarterly and yearly meetings, encompassing wider geographical areas. There are over 80 yearly meetings across the globe. While many share joint undertakings and communication among them is treasured, there is no super organization of them all. Just as a local meeting is driven by the leadings of its members, so quarterly and yearly meetings are driven, as led, from the bottom up.
Quakers have a long history of advocating for peace and justice. Many monthly, quarterly and yearly meetings continue this work, as do related Quaker organizations with activist missions.
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